An Erie man is facing felony robbery and other charges after city police accused him of attempting to steal cash from a cell phone business and threating to shoot the police.
Officers accuse 46-year-old Mark Saunders of being the person who walked into Cricket Wireless, 1025 State St., shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and demanded $20 from a store employee while reaching behind his back and gesturing toward his waistband. The employee, who believed the man had a gun, told him he did not have $20, and the man said he would shoot police officers if they showed up, Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said Monday.
The man then left the store, Lorah said.
As responding officers were at the store after the attempted robbery was reported, an officer saw a man matching the description of the suspect walk past Cricket Wireless. The employee identified the person as the man who tried to rob him, and he was taken into custody, Lorah said.
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Erie 5th Ward District Judge Paul Bizzarro arraigned Saunders Saturday night on a first-degree felony count of robbery and on misdemeanor charges including terroristic threats, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Bizzarro set bond at $150,000, according to information in Saunders’ criminal docket sheet.
A lawyer for Saunders was not listed on the docket sheet Monday.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie man accused in attempted robbery of Cricket Wireless store